12/25/2023 0 Comments Best trace minerals on market1-2 Tons).įor those of us who are unable to order a custom mix, we may be able to find an appropriate mineral mix at the local feed store. Ideally, a custom mineral supplement should be developed with the help of a feed store nutritionist however, this typically requires a minimum order (i.e. If a feedstuff does not meet the concentrations listed in Table 2, trace mineral supplementation is recommended. ![]() Mineral requirements and maximum tolerable concentrations for beef cattle (in parts per million) The concentrations which trace minerals should be included in a mineral mix can be determined by comparing the results of a feedstuff analysis with NRC recommended concentrations (Table 2). However, anecdotal evidence indicates that many purchased mineral mixes supply trace minerals unnecessarily to cattle, or worse don’t provide enough mineral. ![]() Supplementation of trace minerals to beef cattle is common based on the reasons mentioned above. For instance, the requirement for Mn for gestating and early lactating cattle (40 ppm) is twice the requirement for feedlot cattle (20 ppm). Similarly, several factors affect the efficiency of trace mineral absorption including reproduction and stress. To make matters worse, trace minerals are poorly absorbed by beef cattle since only about 5 to 10% is absorbed. Similarly, 12% of forage samples were very high in Fe which can cause Cu deficiency. In the NAHMS study, 9% of samples were very high in Mo, which when present with Cu and sulfur (S) form a complex that is almost completely unabsorbable by ruminants. This includes minerals like iron (Fe) and molybdenum (Mo). In addition many forage samples contained minerals that are antagonist to trace minerals such as Cu and reduce absorption. However, Mn was adequate in 76% of samples. The National Animal Health Monitoring Service (NAHMS) reported that Zn was adequate in only 3% of forage samples from across the U.S., and 50% of samples were marginal in Cu. contain less-than-adequate concentrations of these several trace minerals. In some situations, a deficiency can lead to a decrease in performance including reduced growth, body weight, condition scores, and/or milk production, as well as health-related problems. However, marginal trace mineral deficiencies do exist and commonly go unnoticed since only slight reductions in performance occur. In most herds, trace mineral deficiencies probably don’t exist. ![]() ![]() The National Research Council (NRC) has identified 10 trace minerals as essential for beef cattle however, only about 4 are generally recognized as the most problematic in grazing beef cattle: copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and selenium (Se). Trace minerals are required at concentrations less than 100 parts per million (ppm, also known as mg per kg) of diet. To do so, aim for better management of the high-cost trace mineral supplement you are feeding your cows. One key method for improving profit is to reduce costs without negatively affecting performance – namely through reproduction. Thus, even with strong calf prices, profitability can be hard to achieve. cow/calf producers have been faced with an extreme increase in operating costs over the past year, especially for feed and supplements.
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